Monday, 7 January 2013

Slavery does it exist in NZ?

Slavery today is all around us.

It is well known that slavery preceded democracy; it is considered a fact that the Greeks introduced a form of democracy, but still maintained their slaves; in fact it would be doubtful that Greece could have existed without slavery, like wise the Roman Empire, the British Empire and even the present American Empire.

Not too long ago in the US the North and the South went to war with each other supposedly over the right to keep slaves officially. Six hundred thousand died in that civil war in an effort to introduce democracy to the master Black slave relationship. It had nothing to do with freeing those who were enslaved for didn’t free them but simply redefined them. They went from being slaves to being freedmen and then to being low rewarded workers.

Democracy changed their name but not their role or status.

A slave master or owner had to have the ability to accommodate, feed, control, discipline and employ their slaves so as to make a profit. Slaves were tools rather than people and they still are today.

Can you imagine an employer today paying a wage all workers could actually exist on, one that would cover accommodation, food, power and phone bills, health care, transport and education?

Would or does the minimum hourly rate of $13.50 cover these vital activities for one person? Our democratically elected government says it does.

The short answer is obvious and it is no it would not.

So one could say; that because the government regulates the minimum wage at such a low level, it has become the slave master, is that democracy.

To control this economically unsustainable workforce it has to subsidise many employers, especially those like the Warehouse, McDonalds and the farming industry all of whom are well known for paying minimum wages, which we know puts those receiving it below the poverty line, which could be and should be defined as slavery.

So we could say that democracy has entrenched slavery rather than removed it.

And governments have been so cunning at restricting freedom in the name of democracy and thereby getting those enslaved in the minimum wage trap to accept this as the norm; they have even got them to accept that if they are in this minimum wage zone that it is their fault.

So democracy is not for those on the minimum wage, it is for the wealthy, simply because if employers had to pay a livable wages they would not longer be rich.

For a short time trade unions organised and wages moved on an upward path and for the most part were considered to be a livable wage. But via the democratic process the people removed this oversight; unions became an arm of government and employer control [You may remember they used to call it partnership] and bit by bit unions were dismantled and toothless.

Police and military throughout the world maintain economic slavery in the name of democracy. The visible power of this state authority is not so obvious here in NZ because we have simply ‘accepted’ the chains without any great protest.

In other words we are willing slaves, but that is changing because the poverty level is rising at a rapid rate as we democratically continue to lower taxes for the wealthy and allow the minimum wage to remain static.

So what you can do is, firstly you can gather together and using every avenue both democratic and otherwise demand justice and fairness, you won’t improve the lot of those on the minimum wage or benefits by selling off our assets to the wealthy. We have a model, our teachers and educationalists that have stood up to the wreckers, and they’ve done it in a democratic manner. They are united.

Secondly gather in your communities, work places, social clubs talk about the issues as they apply to you all. Decide on a plan and together move on that plan. You can do it because you are our hope that democracy can remove slavery rather than entrenching it further in our country.

Have a great 2013; let’s defeat the illness that humbles our land…greed.